College: Fine Arts
Degree: BS in Design and Visual Communication
Specialized Admission: No
Contact: Rebecca Cowart
Address: 1038 WJB, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1231
Phone: (850) 644-5473
Email: Rebecca.Cowart@fsu.edu
Students cannot begin enrolling in this major until Fall 2026. Also, please note: FSU is not yet authorized to enroll F-1 international students in the Bachelor's degree in Civics and Liberty Studies. International students who need an F-1 visa, should NOT apply to these majors at this time.
*Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program will be available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning; starting in Fall 2026.*
The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Design prepares students to become agile, collaborative, and future-oriented design professionals equipped to meet the growing demand across creative industries. As the need for human-centered and cross-functional design solutions expands, this program will provide students with the frameworks and skills necessary to thrive in a range of design-focused careers. Grounded in the practice of design, the program encourages both creativity and problem-solving, connecting graphic design, spatial thinking, materials, and evolving tools used in contemporary design.
Prerequisite Coursework: (none)
There are Interdisciplinary Design foundation classes that should be completed during the freshman and sophomore years. They are:
IND 1203 (3) Design Fundamental I
ART 1300c (3) Drawing Foundations
ART 1602c (3) Digital Foundations <meets FSU Digital Literacy requirement>
ARH 2050 (3) History and Criticism of Art I
ARH 2051 (3) History and Criticism of Art II
Transfer students that have earned an A.A. degree and wish to pursue this major must complete these courses within their first two semesters at FSU to remain eligible to continue in the major.
Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org.
Requirements for Progression to the Upper-Division Major
To be admitted, students must complete at least 52 hours with a minimum FSU GPA of 2.00 and most of the General Education requirements met, including freshman English composition and mathematics, or an AA degree.
Major Program of Studies at FSU: (68 hours)
To complete a major in Interdisciplinary Design, student must complete:
Interdisciplinary Design Foundation courses: 15 credit hours
Interdisciplinary Core courses: 29 credit hours
Design and Visual Art courses: 24 credit hours
Core courses: (29 hours)
IND 2300 (3) Graphic Techniques I
IND 3529 (1) Portfolio Development I
IND 3533 (1) Portfolio Development II
XXX 3*** (3) Design Ethics and Responsibility
ART 3651 (3) Art and Electronic Media
ART 4642 (3) Digital Fabrication
ENT 3607 (3) Innovation by Design <meets FSU Scholarship in Practice requirement>
ENT 3605 (3) Sysytems Innovation by Design <meets FSU Scholarship in Practice requirement>
IND 2620 (3) Responsible Design
XXX 4*** (3) Design Capstone I: Research and Framing
XXX 4*** (3) Design Capstone II: Applicationa and Presentation
Required Major courses: (24 hours)
IND 2xxx (3) Foundations of Graphic Design I
IND 3xxx (3) Foundations of Graphic Design II
ART 4925c (3) Media Workshop: Digital Media
XXX 2xxx (3) Typography
CGS 2821 (3) Introduction to Website Design
CGS 2835 (3) Interdisciplinary Web Design
XXX 4xxx (3) History of Design and Visual Communication
LIS 4701 (3) Information and Data Visualization
Minor coursework: (0 hours)
A minor is not required but is recommended as a way to contribute to the electives needed to reach the required 120 credit hours for graduation.
Digital Literacy: (3 hours)
ART 1602c (3) Digital Foundations satisfies this requirement for the major.
Oral Communication Competency: (3 hours)
Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly. This requirement may be met with an approved college-level course.
Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
General Education 36
Major Coursework 68
Minor Coursework 0
Digital Literacy 0 beyond required major coursework
Scholarship in Practice 0 beyond required major coursework
Electives to bring total number of credit hours to 120
Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at academic-guide.fsu.edu/.
1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
2. Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.
Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Graphic Design (graphic designer, brand designer);Visual Communication (visual storyteller, content designer); Design Strategy (design strategist, brand strategist); Spatial Thinking and Environments (exhibit designer, environmental graphics designer); User Experience (UX) / User Interface (UI) Designer; Motion / Digital Designer with craft animations, interactive media, and motion graphics for digital platforms; Entrepreneur / Creative Consultant.
Representative Employers: Branding & Identity Firms; Advertising and Marketing Firms; Print & Fabrication Companies; Media & Publication Design Studios; Interior Design Studios; Digital/ UX Design Studios; Entertainment & Film studios’ Museums & Cultural Institutions
ACADEMIC MAP (Effective Fall 2026 and after)
Students cannot begin enrolling in this major until Fall 2026. Also, please note: FSU is not yet authorized to enroll F-1 international students in the Bachelor's degree in Civics and Liberty Studies. International students who need an F-1 visa, should NOT apply to these majors at this time.
*Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program will be available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning; starting in Fall 2026.*
This map is a term-by-term sample course schedule. The milestones listed to the right of each term are designed to keep you on course to graduate in four years. The Sample Schedule serves as a general guideline to help you build a full schedule each term. The General Education and Elective courses must be selected to satisfy all area requirements unless your program meets these requirements with major courses.
Milestones are courses and special requirements necessary for timely progress to complete a major. Missing milestones will result in one of two types of map registration stops. The first level (Degree Map Off-track) is placed following grade posting if the student has missed a milestone (course and/or GPA) for the first time in the major. If a student is in non-compliance with milestones for two (2) consecutive semesters (excluding summers), a Major Change Required stop is placed on the student's registration.
Specific degree requirements to complete a major in Interdisciplinary Designinclude the following:
1. CoreFSU Curriculum: of the required and elective credit hours, three must be taken in ARH 2050, an art history course, and also three must be taken in ARH 2051, an art history class. Refer to the ‘CoreFSU Curriculum' section in the “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” chapter of this General Bulletin for specific degree requirements. Contact the program advisor for further information if needed.
2. Interdisciplinary design foundation classes: 15 credit hours
3. Interdisciplinary core courses: 29 credit hours
4. Design and visual art courses: 24 credit hours
5. Students must have at least 120 hours to graduate from the University.
Mapping Coordinator: Eddie Page
Email: epage@fsu.edu
Sample Schedule and Required Milestones by Term
| Sample Schedule: Term 1 hrs |
| ENC1101 Freshman Composition3 |
| 1st GE Core Mathematics3 |
| IND1203 Design Fundamentals I3 |
| ART1300c Drawing Foundations3 |
| ARH2050 History and Criticism of Art I3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 1 |
| Complete ENC1101 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Overall GPA of a 2.00 or higher |
| Sample Schedule: Term 2 hrs |
| ENC2135 Research, Genre, and Context 3 |
| 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics course3 |
| GE Natural Science 3 |
| ART1602c Digital Foundations 3 |
| ARH2051 History & Criticism of Art II3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 2 |
| Complete ENC2135 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete 1st GE Mathematics course ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Overall GPA of a 2.00 or higher |
| Sample Schedule: Term 3 hrs |
| Oral Communication Competency3 |
| GE Core Humanities/Cultural Practice3 |
| IND2300 Graphic Techniques I3 |
| IND2620 Responsible Design3 |
| XXX 2*** Typography3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 3 |
| Complete 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics course ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Overall GPA of a 2.00 or higher |
| Sample Schedule: Term 4 hrs |
| GE Social Science3 |
| GE Core Natural Science with Lab4 |
| XXX 3**** History of Design & Visual Communiction3 |
| IND 2*** Foundations of Graphic Design 4 |
| Required Milestones: Term 4 |
| Complete Oral Communication Competency |
| Overall GPA of a 2.00 or higher |
| Sample Schedule: Term 5 hrs |
| IND 3*** Foundations of Graphic Design II 3 |
| CGS2821 Intro to Website Design 3 |
| ENT3607 Innovation by Design 3 |
| XXX 3*** Design Ethics & Responsibility 3 |
| ART4642 Digital Fabrication3 |
| IND3529 Portfolio Development I1 |
| Required Milestones: Term 5 |
| Civic Literacy requirement |
| Overall GPA of a 2.00 or higher |
| Sample Schedule: Term 6 hrs |
| GE Core History3 |
| CGS2835 Interdisciplinary Web Development3 |
| ART4925c Media Workshop: Digital Media 3 |
|
ENT3605 Systems Innovation by Design 3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 6 |
| Complete a total of seven (7) required major courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Overall GPA of a 2.00 or higher |
| Sample Schedule: Term 7 hrs |
| Upper Division Writing Requirement3 |
| XXX 4*** Design Capstone I 3 |
| LIS4701 Information and Data Visualization3 |
| GE Elective/Exploring the Human Experience3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 7 |
| Complete a total of twelve (12) required major courses ( ≥ C minus in each) |
| Complete Pre-Graduation Check |
| Overall GPA of a 2.00 or higher |
| Sample Schedule: Term 8 hrs |
| Ethics requirement3 |
| Exploring the Human Experience course3 |
| XXX 4*** Design Capstone II3 |
| ART3651 Art and Electronic Media3 |
| IND 3533 Portfolio Development II1 |
| Required Milestones: Term 8 |
|
Complete all degree requirements |
| Apply for Graduation in 1st two weeks of semester |
| Overall GPA of a 2.00 or higher |